Alice Eve’s ‘Star Trek 2′ Character (And More Story Details) Revealed

You’ve see the first Star Trek Into Darkness teaser trailer. We’ve seen the nine-minute prologue. Now it’s time to share a few bits of information that Paramount Pictures gave us the go-ahead on.

If you don’t mind learning a little more about the plot, characters and some sequences for Star Trek Into Darkness, read on, because we’re going to tell you all about Alice Eve’s character and how it could be the biggest hint yet at who Benedict Cumberbatch’s villain is.

When Alice Eve was cast into J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek sequel, no information was given about her role. Unofficial set photos revealed her wearing starfleet uniforms, but all we had was our theories and the speculation that came with it. The one-minute Star Trek Into Darkness teaser trailer provided the official first look at Eve’s character, but with no dialogue outside of Cumberbatch’s intimidating voiceover, there was nothing to go on outside of the visuals. We can now confirm that Alice Eve is playing Dr. Carol Marcus.

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*Spoiler Warning: The discussion ahead shares a few details from the Star Trek Into Darkness prologue and additional revelations from the film’s story*

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What we saw in the trailer was Eve in two different sets of Starfleet attire, sharing a moment with Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and another where she’s reacting with a frightful scream to some horrifying event or situation. Based on the visuals alone, we noted that her hairstyle and uniform match that of a character named Elizabeth Dehner (side-by-side image below).

Dehner is a psychiatrist who in the original Star Trek series episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before” came aboard the Enterprise to study the long-term effects space travel may have on its crew. On that particular mission to the galactic barrier, Dehner and Kirk’s friend, ship’s helmsman Gary Mitchell, gained godlike psychic powers after being struck by an unknown energy. Mitchell of course is one of the rumored possibilities for who Benedict Cumberbatch may be playing in Star Trek Into Darkness, and with the visual similarity between Alice Eve and Sally Kellerman (who played Dehner), this was one working theory for the pairing of characters. Or it could be intentional (and fitting) misdirection on the part of the Star Trek 2 creative time.

We now know however, that Alice Eve is actually playing another scientist, Dr. Carol Marcus (originally played by Bibi Besch – see clip up top), a molecular biologist for Starfleet. In the original timeline, Marcus and Kirk fell in love and had a son named David. From the one-minute Into Darkness teaser depicting a smile between Alice Eve’s Marcus and Chris Pine’s Kirk, it’s very likely that we will see the beginnings of their relationship.

The more interesting ideas we can draw from this revelation however, are in what this means for Benedict Cumberbatch’s character and the plot of the film. Carol Marcus was introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan when Khan raids her Project Genesis research station. We also learn here that Marcus and Kirk had a falling out many years prior. She (and their son, David) work together on Project Genesis – a key story point for the original Star Trek 2 & 3. In the third film, David dies at the hands of Klingons on the Genesis planet, who were there to acquire the Project Genesis device to use as a weapon just as Khan tried to.

Why is this important?

In the nine-minute IMAX prologue, we meet a couple played by Nazneen Contractor and Noel Clarke. Their daughter is very sick, aging too fast in a London-based hospital on Earth, and the outlook isn’t positive. While stepping outside to catch some air, Benedict Cumberbatch’s character approaches Clarke and simply says he can help save his daughter. How? Could it be through Abrams’ version of the origins of Project Genesis or some special ability he has?

From what we’ve learned at Paramount’s Star Trek Into Darkness press event, the film will include scenes on the Klingon homeworld Qo’noS and viewers will see Klingons shown without their helmets. Combine that with the fact Alice Eve is playing Dr. Carol Marcus, and there are a growing number of connections between Into Darkness and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock).

How does Benedict Cumberbatch fit into all of this? We learned from the first official Star Trek 2 still released today that his character is named John Harrison, at least as an alias. With Bob Orci telling TrekMovie.com that Cumberbatch is not playing Gary Mitchell (his story was told in the in-canon Abrams universe IDW Star Trek comics) but is definitely a character from Trek canon, and with Alice Eve playing Carol Marcus, there’s more evidence piling for the Khan camp, especially if Cumberbatch’s solution to save the dying girl is through some process related Project Genesis… or genetic engineering (recall: Marcus is a molecular biologist). But that’s just speculation.

We don’t yet know and from the footage we cannot conclusively determine who Benedict Cumberbatch is playing. If not Mitchell or Khan, what other character from the original series or films do you believe would fit?

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Jeff W2 years ago

This makes no sense. Project Genesis is what we all know it to be. To change it to dramtically.

I… Don’t… know what to say… O.o. If I remember correctly, John Harrision was killed by Khan, I need to re watch Space Seed. But we are too early into the timeline for Project Genesis to even exist yet…

If this is Khan or a set up for Khan…. and they kill off Spock or Kirk… that’s just crazy……………………….

I just watched the episode, no it wasn’t John Harrision, but I do remember a red shirt running around, named Harrison. He wasn’t a major player, but he does show up every now and then in the original series.

Just because it is Carol Marcus doesn’t mean Cumberbatch is Khan. Actually at this stage in the Kirk/Marcus dyad means the Khan as seen in STII:TWoK is highly improbable. To me the opening hints at the use of genetic engineering which we know from Star Trek canon is verboten thanks to the Eugenics Wars. So is this a story about Khan/Colonel Green’s augment work being carried on by Cumberbatch’s character? Did a younger Khan and his ship, the SS Botany Bay, return to Earth much earlier than in the Prime timeline? The teaser tells us that there is an enemy within threatening Starfleet and Earth. Khan was never Starfleet. So let the wild speculation continue because May will be here before you know it and we can see for ourselves what JJ has filmed for us. I just hope the story is good, the characters have chemistry and we leave the theater saying that was some damn fine Star Trek!

Ok here’s my take based on the information presented. This cumberbatch will play a member of star fleet named Harrison. Later it will be revealed in the film that he is known by another alias as “khan”. He perhaps believes he can save the daughter through some similar type of genetic engineering that he himself has undergone ( or is currently working on). Isn’t khan genetically enhanced himself?

they had also been frozen for over 200 years when they were found. it’s possible they were found earlier then in TOS due to the timeline change, and he joined starfleet, but i dont think it’s going to be kahn, at least, i hope not. also, the back story for kahn suggests he wasn’t pure evil, but actually a decent leader, and only wanted revenge for being abandoned.

Watch the original TOS episode: Space Seed again. Khan was a dictator on earth, and at one point practically had a 3rd of the earth conquered. He was by no means a pleasent person. In the the Wrath of Khan, you had to feel sympothay for him after he and his people was abandoned. Actually, they were left on a florishing planet with life, but after Ceti Alpha 6 exploded…it shifted the orbit of Ceti Alpha 5 ( The world khan and his people were left on)and as khan said in ST:2 “Everything was laid waste” If you kind of think about it, Khan had every right to want vengeance on Kirk and the federation. You mean to tell me, not one federation vessel ever once came to check on these people…to see if everything was ok ? It’s as if kirk left a space marker in orbit to ward off other ships from approaching or beaming down to the planet. That says something about the federation. Things aren’t as “bright” as the federation would suggest.

But who’s to say that Khan et. al. aren’t found by some other alien race? The timeline has changed, which means the Enterprise has not affected races in the galaxy that they had affected before. A certain race (Klingons, Romulans, Tholians, etc…) could find the Botany Bay first.

John Harrison is basically Khan. I am gonna bet. I am disappointed. They rebooted the franchise for what? To do ANOTHER variation of Wrath of Khan? Although it is a very good movie, i now come to the conclusion that the movie actually hurts the franchise. Because everybody sees only Wrath of Khan, Wrath of Khan, Wrath of Khan. Nothing else. “Nemesis” already sucked because of this. Trek 2009 already stole aspects from Wrath of Kahn, and now again??? C’Mon the Trek Universe is bigger than this.

You didn’t even see the movie yet and you’re casting judgment on it. This is all pure speculation at this point. IMO, you’re going a bit off the edge there with your conclusion. I agree that this COULD be a mistake to hurt the franchise, but at this point there is no way you or anyone should be drawing a conclusion like that without even seeing the movie first. Overreacting a bit. At least give it a chance until MORE details come forth.

After much thought, it is possible that the main villain is Ben Finney. He has always wanted the Captain’s chair, was close to Kirk, and wanted revenge on Kirk for stealing all his glory. They could of added elements of Gary and Khan into the Ben character.

@Buster24, From what you just said, I have a feeling you don’t know about Gary’s power. Gary is stronger than Khan and has the ability to excel life. He can touch the ground and make plants grow, he can lift a boulder and throw it a long distance and given the opportunity, I can see him have the ability to cure a small child’s sickness.

I’m saying its not Finney. Mitchel would make a lot more sense , I agree. The tie in comics have already killed Mitchell though. So like I said earlier , i beleive its Khan ( do to the revealed details), or its simply an unknown. Granted it would have to be a very different type of khan though. I think his name is John Harrison though. I think later on during the film he could be known under a different “alias” however.. Also khan was genetically engineered. Perhaps that’s his way to save the daughter. I only know as much as anyone else at this point hehe. Lol

Orcisaid they did the whole alternate universe so they could be free to tell new stories during the first missions on the Enterprise crew…. the first one was great. New & different. Then – with a clean slate to do whatever story they can imagine – they decide to rehash a Khan story. Not very original

For what did they reboot the thing, if the use the same characters from Wrath of Khan again. The Trek-Universe is much bigger than Wrath of Khan. But since a few years everybody got obsessed with this movie and tried to copy it. With terrible results! Nemesis was a shameless and bad Wrath of Khan-ripoff. Star Trek 2009 was average, and also stole some aspects from Wrath of Khan(remember those slugs). Guys, use something else! Nobody can top Ricardo Montalbans performance.

So Alice Eve is Carol Marcus What for a Downer. First of all she has got that Dr. Dehner Haircut. Secondly, Dr. Marcus was never in Starfleet. Yes i know, in the Abrams- timeline it could be different, but that’s basically a total reverse of her character. Originally Carol Marcus and David were against Starfleet, and now she is a member of it? No, Dr. Dehner would have made much more sense! Furthermore it would have been a nice twist, if Dehner is the girl of Kirks life and not Carol Marcus. But Abrams HAS TO play it safe. What a pitty!